1Health Services Administration, Beacom School of Business, University of South Dakota2Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of South Dakota3Health Services Administration, Beacom School of Business University of South Dakota

Ghana is a developing sub-Saharan country in West Africa and it struggles with delivering health care within the universal health system. The primary barrier to medical care is the lack of access. The government of Ghana subsidizes universal health insurance for all of its citizens, but lacks technology, workforce, and more importantly access to sanitation and cleans running water. Access to health care remains a challenge in Ghana, especially in rural areas. In this research, we conduct a study of the opinion leadership for healthcare in Ghana in May, 2014. Student investigators administer a survey to explore who is identified as the healthcare opinion leaders by the local community members. The respondents are asked to rank seven categories of healthcare providers by how often they speak to with that category about their health, from most often to least often, including medical doctors, chemical shops, herbalists, prayer camps, family members, midwives and shrines or voodoo priests. In total, 157 local community members respond this survey, including 51 people in cities, 65 people in rural villages and 41 people in Kpanla, a remote isolated island.